Front/Rear Cap Seperation DIY

[Redridge]

So my rear cap at the bottom is seperating. I cringe at the thought of CW doing the job and Im out of warranty. So I investigated at what it takes to do the job... turns out its a no brainer.



At the bottom of the cap there is one screw... take it off with a philips screw driver. Break any remainder seal on the liner...



lift up the liner, you will notice broken screw heads...





drill new starter holes and use #8 1" self tap screws.





once the aluminum rail is secured, put the rubber liner back in place and put back the screw that holding the liner at the bottom of the cap. Put tape 1/8" along the liner for new seal. I used clear silicon... you can use whatever is appropriate.





dont wait to dry, remove tape and let dry... apply some paint if you want. I will wait once it dries... the color isnt to far off so I may just leave it.



Unfortunately, as easy the job is.... I dont trust the dealer to use screws. I can see them just putting sealing only, and a few months later it will just seperate again.

[Papa_Jim]

Excellent work.

One caveat. You can't paint silicone. So you can save your money and time to try painting it.

In future, if you want to make the same repair and paint the caulking when done, Geocell 2300 or Geocell ProRV are good choices. Silkens also make a good RV caulk that can be painted.

Jim

[Ray,IN]

Good job, except for using silicone sealant. It will come loose from a smooth surface in a short time. Once cured, you can loosen one end of a bead and pull the entire bead off a smooth surface. Nothing will stick to cured silicone, not even more silicone. When silicone is removed, that surface must be cleaned with a special silicone removal product, or nothing else will adhere to the surface(s). Notice that warranty, it avoids any reference to sticking to surfaces. Many places use it because it is the cheapest caulk sold.

[Clayobx]

Just FYI. Ray and Papa Jim are correct. Once the silicone gives up it adhesion use one of the mentioned sealants. Ray what is the product used to remove silicone? I have used some silicone and would like to remove and reseal. Thanks.

[Redridge]

thanks guys... I'll order some geocell and when it arrives, i'll peel off the silicon... should peel off easy. Thor gave us some touch up paint and will give it a shot.

[Papa_Jim]

When you peel off the silicone, you still have to use some silicone remover to remove the thin film left so that other caulking and paint will stick.

Another kink. Geocell has a short shelf life in the unopened tube. A wise approach is to order it when you need to use it. When you purchase it, make sure it is fresh inventory. Don't try to store it for long before using it. I tried that, had to discard it and buy new again.

Jim

[streamcamper]

My thoughts exactly with using silicone. The residue can be effectively removed by rubbing the affected area with a mineral spirits dampened rag. Other solvents may work as well, just be careful with compatibility with the paint.

[Ray,IN]

Originally Posted by Clayobx

Just FYI. Ray and Papa Jim are correct. Once the silicone gives up it adhesion use one of the mentioned sealants. Ray what is the product used to remove silicone? I have used some silicone and would like to remove and reseal. Thanks.

The marketplace has many silicone removal products. Almost any better hardware store will carry at least one. Some are quite inexpensive, some quite spendy, of course, quality and price are related. Make sure the one you select is approved for the material where you applied silicone, as some are not approved for gel-coat.
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[Clayobx]

Thank you for the posted information.

[HVAC Bill]

Originally Posted by Clayobx

Thank you for the posted information.

My front cap did he same, warranty covered repairs. Dealers body shop replaced all of those "quality" screws Thor likes to use with rivets.

[Uber_D]

Originally Posted by HVAC Bill

My front cap did he same, warranty covered repairs. Dealers body shop replaced all of those "quality" screws Thor likes to use with rivets.

I bottomed out my front-end this weekend pulling out of a fuel stop. Popped a few screws on the lower section of the cap. Do you know if they used plain ol' aluminum rivets or stainless steel ones. I am guessing aluminum rivets are stronger then the rusty screws in there now.

[HVAC Bill]

Originally Posted by Uber_D

I bottomed out my front-end this weekend pulling out of a fuel stop. Popped a few screws on the lower section of the cap. Do you know if they used plain ol' aluminum rivets or stainless steel ones. I am guessing aluminum rivets are stronger then the rusty screws in there now.

I would guess they used aluminum. I don't think there is any stainless parts or pieces on the coach.

[Redridge]

they used steel self tapping screws. Using aluminum self tapping will be fine, I think thats what I used. The problem with Thor is they dont know how to torque properly. Screws are either to tight or to loose...

[ChallengerRN]

Might want to check the top front cap also. Mine came loose where the front cap attaches. Just where the molding folds over and down.

Russell